Perry, Iowa – The principal of Perry High School was shot multiple times while trying to protect students during a shooting on Jan. 4, authorities reported. The school is about 40 miles northwest of Des Moines. The sixth-grade student killed in the incident has been identified as 11-year-old Ahmir Jolliff, with the shooter being 17-year-old high school student Dylan Butler, who later died by suicide. The principal, two staff members, and four students were also injured during the shooting, which began in the cafeteria before classes started around 7:30 a.m.
The Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) confirmed Jolliff’s cause of death to be three gunshot wounds from the shooter, and reported that the principal remains in critical condition after suffering multiple gunshot wounds in an apparent attempt to protect his students. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds expressed her condolences and addressed the Perry community during a press conference, stating that the tragedy “strikes at the heart of everything we hold dear.”
The investigation is ongoing, with authorities seizing large volumes of digital and social media evidence in addition to continuing background investigations, eyewitness accounts, and victim interviews. The DPS plans to turn over their report to the Dallas County Attorney’s Office once the investigation is complete. People from the community, as well as students and faculty, are currently in mourning, but as the investigation continues, authorities are working to provide answers and prevent such incidents from happening again.
In summary, the incident at Perry High School in Iowa resulted in multiple injuries and the tragic loss of an 11-year-old student. The principal remains in critical condition while the shooter’s death by suicide has left the community in shock. Governor Reynolds expressed support for the Perry community and vowed to work tirelessly to get to the bottom of the tragedy. This senseless incident has shaken the entire state to its core, and authorities are dedicated to seeking justice and preventing similar events in the future.